Evaluation of Pennsylvania’s mosquito-borne disease control program andfuture directions

Introduction: Since the introduction of West Nile Virus (WNV) to the United States, there has been a need to monitor the mosquito populations that act as vectors. Programs such as the Pennsylvania Mosquito-Borne Disease Control Program (MBDC) were founded to combat the ever-growing threat to public health. By using various methods of surveillance, control, and educating the public, the population size of mosquitoes that can transmit WNV to humans can be reduced. Question: What is the effectiveness of treating catch basins to control mosquito populations? Methods: A literature search was conducted to ascertain the current research findings pertaining to catch basin treatment, to gauge the effectiveness of this intervention. The articles collected were systematically reviewed against inclusion criteria, and further analyzed for key findings and common ideas. Results: A total of eight articles met the criteria for inclusion. These were thoroughly examined in order to determine effectiveness and relevance of catch basin treatment to control endemic mosquito populations. It was found that the treatment of catch basins is effective and other factors such as type of treatment form such as granular or briquet and cost should be considered. Discussion: The MBDC program includes methods that are recommended in order to control mosquitoes and protect the public from mosquito-borne disease such as West Nile Virus. This review suggests that it is effective and should be implemented in other counties in Pennsylvania. The evidence supports the current program in Allegheny County, which can serve as a model for programs statewide. Suggested modifications to the program include use of granular formulations of larvicides over briquets. Other factors can aid in incorporation of this integrated management approach, such as rolling the events into education opportunities.